Author Topic: 400f tires (Read 3872 times)

mblotz · « **on:** July 30, 2007, 09:47:02 AM »

hey gang--i checked the archives--but didnt find exactly what i was looking for. so here we go again with what i am sure is another tire question

anyway--400f tires need replacement. currently running dunlop K591 in sizes 100/90/18 front and 110/90/18 rear. good tires but old and dry rotted and i wont let my wife run the bike they are so bad (its her bike) to me the front seems over sized and creates lazy steering--so want opinions on size and brand

stock should 3.00/18 and 3.50/18. I am looking at the cheng shins Hi-max since they look like the metzler lazertecs i like so much. the real draw is price since we are on a budget--ie--unemployed. but open to opinions for sure

so--brand and model and tire size is the quetion

dustyc · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2007, 10:04:05 AM »

May I hijack just a little? Are there any American made tires for our motorcycles?

Jugghead · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2007, 10:46:39 AM »

I have cheng shins in a classic tread pattern: ribbed front and block pattern rear on my CB350F.
Many people rip on these tires here because they are cheap (also inexpensive!)

and the rubber is supposedly not up to standards of the big european manufacturers.

I think the rubber compound is pretty hard to begin with, designed for long wear on really abrasive roads.
I have had them 3 seasons, but only put about 2500+ miles on them. There is tons of tread left and no cracking at all.

I readily admit they are NOT the same as high performance tires in terms of grip and wet road handling. However, they are smooth and stable at highway speeds and I have scraped the centerstand on a few lefthanders. I haven't experienced any "squirrely" tire behavior, but also haven't ridden on Metzelers or Dunlops of Bridgestones yet...

Therefore, I have nothing to compare them with. But for city riding, riverside cruising, and the occassional 100+ mile daytrip, they have been just fine for the small displacement bike.

Hope that helps and good luck on the employment front. savings dry up fast, especially if you spend them on hobbies.

Gordon · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2007, 12:01:41 PM »

Cheng Shins are okay if you don't plan on ever riding in the rain. If you do get caught in a shower, take the corners very slow. I originally had them on my 400F and they were decent, but when I switched to Avons the difference was very noticeable. I have Cheng Shins on the 360T now because that's all I could find to fit those tiny rims, but Avons on the 750 and 550 because I've never once had a problem with them, no matter the road conditions.

Triffecpa · « **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2007, 12:05:51 PM »

I'll second the vote for Avons. I use street compound Avon SuperVenoms on my Cb400F race bike. They've lasted almost two season, and still stick well. They aren't as cheap as the Cheng Shins though. I also use a 100 on the front and a 120 on the back. Both are one size bigger than the stock sizes, but I tend to lean in favor of More Tire as opposed to Less Tire. I suppose that it might slow the steering a tad, but I'm OK with that. I also have longer than stock shocks in the rear to raise the back of the bike significantly, so that makes up for some of the effects of the larger front tire.

That said, if I was simply buying tires for a street bike that will be likely ridden not too hard, I probably wouldn't hesitate to buy a cheaper tire.

Tracy

Gordon · « **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2007, 12:11:21 PM »

Well, I'm not talking about the super expensive Avons, just the Roadrunners or Speedmasters. Still more dough than Cheng Shins, but not so much more that I'd risk my skin for it.

mblotz · « **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2007, 01:08:29 PM »

how about avon AM26 road rider's--pretty cheap actually. as gordon knows--this isnt exactly an everyday rider--she rides her dual sport more than the 400f. and ps--gordon--see you on thursday if your around

333 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:10:28 PM »

I second the Avon Roadrunners, but stick as close to original size. Bigger is not better in the case of a rounded tire. Going bigger puts more curvature in the tire leaving a smaller contact patch. The closest to your sizes are 90/90 front, 100/90 rear.

Jugghead · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:31:05 PM »

Is there a conversion chart somewhere, or can someone give an explaination of how to match Honda's 3.00x18 and 3.50x18 to a (I assume) metric conversion? What do the numbers mean in the example 90/90x18 or 100/90x18?
Thanks!

dustyc · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:38:57 PM »

I was just looking that up. Here's a pretty good page.

http://www.jpcycles.com/Tech/Articles/howfatwillfit.aspx

heffay · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:50:23 PM »

Quote from: dustyc on July 30, 2007, 10:04:05 AM

May I hijack just a little? Are there any American made tires for our motorcycles?

here's a link to the american made kings tire i just purchased for the 350f... i upped the size one from a 100 to a 110. it barely fits.
you might have read in my "baby" thread that it was mounted and balanced incorrectly to the point of it skipping along the pavement for 300 miles and over 3 mountain passes. torrential downpour over the last pass and honestly, aside from the vibration, it felt rock solid. the parts guy said he had a pair last time and they were great on performance just a little down on wear. on a 350f, wear is not a huge concern of mine

the only reason i replaced the avons was because i'd been riding on those drycracked tires for the last 5 years since i bought the bike. they handled great but, there was always the unnerving feeling that they could self destruct at any moment.

on the front i have a dunlop gold seal f11. it is a 3.00x18. on the 400f i have a michelin 3.25x18 that looks too wide but, i've never actually ridden the 400f yet. the dunlop is a great tire if you're looking for the oldschool tread style. the steering on the 350f seems light and nimble so dropping a size might be a good remedy to your problem.

mike... you back in denver?

heffay · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:56:09 PM »

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=368.0

second post tells a bit about the questions many are asking.

steven400/4 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 31, 2007, 06:57:32 AM »

stock front 3.00/18 in old imperial which is 3.60 in low profile and a 90/90 low profile metric
stock rear 3.50/18 in old imperial which is 4.10 in low profile imperial and a 100/90 in low profile metric
avons or dunlops seem to be a good [tyre]
steve

mblotz · « **Reply #13 on:** July 31, 2007, 08:32:54 AM »

thanks all--ill probably be ordering up the avon road riders (roadrunners are discontinued--the replacement) in 90/90/18 and 100/90/18 or even 110/80/18. they are pretty cheap--and we'll give em a shot.

anyway--yeah heffay--back in denver--just got back

heffay · « **Reply #14 on:** July 31, 2007, 08:35:21 AM »

Quote from: mblotz on July 31, 2007, 08:32:54 AM

anyway--yeah heffay--back in denver--just got back

for good? canada got to ya, eh?

mblotz · « **Reply #15 on:** July 31, 2007, 08:38:04 AM »

for good--BC isnt all its cracked up to be. and they made it to hard for me to enjoy my hobbies ($$$$$). and really--who can compare 325 days of sunshine to 25 days of sunshine.

Gordon · « **Reply #16 on:** July 31, 2007, 09:00:31 AM »

Mike, there was a post on here recently by someone who just put a set of the Road Riders on his bike and was really happy with them. Search for "Road Riders" and you can probably find it.

Glad to hear you're back! I won't be there on Thursday, but I should make it for third Friday. Zer and I are in Connecticut and won't be back until late Thursday. We'll have to get a Rusted Nuts ride together soon while we still have some Summer left!

dustyc · « **Reply #17 on:** July 31, 2007, 10:15:10 AM »

Hey Heffay, I couldn't find any info on those tires. Where did you get them?

Thanks.

heffay · « **Reply #18 on:** July 31, 2007, 11:40:14 AM »

hmmm... i must have forgotten the link

http://www.kingstire.com/KT-932Rear.htm

i picked up the rear tire for 50 bucks from rocky mountain kawasaki in longmont, colorado.

the profile, once installed on my wheel, wasn't so squared off anymore, which i prefer... it rounded out a lot more and looked more like a tire is supposed to.

mblotz · « **Reply #19 on:** July 31, 2007, 12:00:41 PM »

those look like rebranded cheng chins to me--just like the maxxis does.

dustyc · « **Reply #20 on:** July 31, 2007, 12:03:53 PM »

I wondered if you forgot since I didn't see anything the tire FAQ or your "baby" post.

Do you ever do your best Patrick Swayze impersonation and say "Nobody puts baby in a corner."?

Thanks.

dustyc · « **Reply #21 on:** July 31, 2007, 12:14:36 PM »

I can't find any verification that they are a US company. There is a Kings Tire out of Taiwan with 3 factories in China.

If there aren't any US made tires, how about Canadian?

heffay · « **Reply #22 on:** July 31, 2007, 12:31:30 PM »

yea... i only assumed they might be US made because that website is kings tire usa...

LoopsAndLogic · « **Reply #23 on:** July 31, 2007, 03:09:49 PM »

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Kenda's

I've put 800 miles on a set of Kenda sport challengers that have a soft rating but seem to wear very little. They are very sticky, and handle wetness very well, hence, the puddles and water road blocks

And are very cheap! Front $62.50, Rear $66.50 and that includes shipping. Check out tiresunlimited as the user name for Ebay. Very helpful guy and pleasant to deal with. I hope that's the right name... if not let me know and I'll look it up.

And as for my second recommendation of a brand of tire, you can't go wrong with the inexpensive Dunlop D404's. Those are nice tires when going down backroads as you will have those center cracks in the middle of the road. Theres no middle line in the tire to catch the tire like some tires have.

Very important to look for this

Hope this helps,

LL

heffay · « **Reply #24 on:** July 31, 2007, 03:54:58 PM »

i sent an email to kings tire asking if they were american based and if they are simply relabeled chen shing tires... we'll see what they say.

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Author Topic: 400f tires (Read 3872 times)

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